Amazingly, Westerns finished bottom of Group C of the 2004 Louth intermediate football championship - despite hammering Dreadnots, who finished top and went on to win an intermediate double! In general, the Reaghstown men, who were superb in the league, gave as good as they got upon their return to intermediate ranks in 2004. The 3-13 to 0-14 IFC defeat of Clogherhead was just one of the highlights of a season that club captain John Lynch looks back upon with plenty of satisfaction. Having finished unlucky runners-up in both the junior league and championship the previous year (but securing promotion nonetheless), Westerns' main objective for 2004 was to continue their progress by stepping up to Division 2A of the all-county league. At the time of writing, they were on the verge of achieving this objective. With one round of games remaining, they were in second place on the 2B table, two points ahead of Na Piarsaigh, who would provide opposition in the last round. They set about their task from the outset, setting the early pace at the business end of the league table. The team's early-season league form was outstanding and at times they carried this into the intermediate championship, particularly in the stunning eight-point defeat of Dreadnots at Louth village on June 19th, a result that threw Group C of the IFC wide open. As it transpired, the seasiders went on to qualify for the quarter-finals as group winners, but it'll be a long time before they forget the humbling defeat suffered at the hands of Westerns in mid-June! Westerns opened their championship account against Geraldines at Knockbridge on May 30, a game they lost by a goal, 1-8 to 0-8. Thereafter, the thrilling (3-13 is an exceptional tally at any level!) defeat of Dreadnots brought them right back into contention in the four-team section, with everything hinging on the result of the final group outing against Oliver Plunketts. Effectively an eliminator for a place in the knock-out phase of the competition, the match took place at Pairc Mhuire in Ardee on Sunday July 4. Westerns never hit top form but still gave a spirited performance before losing by 1-13 to 1-7, having trailed by three points at the interval. Thus, their brave championship campaign was over, leaving the team free to concentrate on their quest to escape the confines of Division 2B… In the league, Westerns' form was magnificent all year and, at the time of going to press, they were in a very strong position. Sean O'Mahonys won the division out, but Westerns had been breathing down their necks all year and were within touching distance of claiming the second promotion spot. Perennially yo-yoing between junior and intermediate grades in recent times, Westerns were determined to avoid such an eventuality in 2004. An encouraging start to their league programme provided an excellent platform from which to do so. They never looked like surrendering their intermediate status. Former Monaghan minor boss Micheal McKeown -who had a previous stint with Westerns in '97 - managed the team in 2004. Gerry McCafferty from Donegal assisted as trainer and there were two local selectors in Paul Kennedy and Gerry Matthews. Cavan native John Lynch captained the team. He notes: "Micheal and the boys put in a tremendous effort. It was great to have him back and there was a brilliant buzz at training. He got us playing good football and, to be honest, I think we even surprised ourselves with some of the performances!" Considering that Westerns suffered instant relegation the last time they went up to intermediate grade (as Macardle Cup winners in 2001), their form in 2004 was nothing short of a revelation. Says John: "We were determined to stay up and prove ourselves. That was our target for the year. "In 2003, we got to the junior championship final and were very disappointed to lose to Dowdallshill. We then finished second in the league, behind Dowdallshill, which was enough to secure automatic promotion. But this time we wanted to stay up, consolidate, and get a bit of continuity into the team. "We placed a massive emphasis on the league and really wanted to make a good start in Division 2B, which we did. We won something like five of our first seven games and that placed us in a great position, in second place on the table. Suddenly, we didn't have to worry about relegation. Instead, we were eyeing promotion to Division 2A. We realised we were in with a chance if we could keep it going." The good start in the league boosted the players' confidence going into the championship: "We were in good form coming up to the championship, even though we were in a very tough group, against three of the stronger intermediate sides in the county (Dreadnots, Geraldines and Oliver Plunketts - all of whom were regarded as potential IFC winners). People thought we had no chance. We were complete underdogs but we gave it a good shot." And so a brave championship bid came to pass. John takes the story up: "We went out all guns blazing against the Geraldines. We started really well and were six points up after about ten minutes. Unfortunately, we couldn't sustain that and only scored two more points in the match. Anthony Durnin scored three great points from wing back and we were buzzing. "We missed a couple of goal chances in the first half and they got a lucky goal after 15 minutes. Despite the good start, we didn't take our chances and faded out of the game completely. "In the second half we missed two or three 50s and a couple of close range frees and that set the tone for the rest of the game. We only scored a point in the second half and you'll never win a championship match like that. In the end, we paid the price for missing too many scoring opportunities. It was a good performance otherwise and we really should have won." The performance against Dreadnots was even better. Indeed, Westerns never put a foot wrong as they stormed to a magnificent victory - one of the most impressive witnessed in the entire Wee County 2004 championship calendar. The team captain recalls: "Dreadnots weren't long down from senior and were red-hot favourites. But we trained hard and had a couple of great sessions. Alan Dooley came back from injury and he never missed a free in that game, which was a massive boost. After Dermot McArdle burst through for the vital first goal we never looked back." Westerns went on to compile an awesome tally of 3-13 - enough to win any match! John Lynch was switched onto Dreadnots' main man Colin Kelly in the second half and that move effectively nullified the former county stalwart's influence on the game. After the break, the Reaghstown side assumed complete control: "We were level at half time but came out and just ran at them in the second half. Our goalkeeper Jonathan Brennan made some good saves. He was outstanding in that game and, even though still a minor, was arguably our best and most consistent player all year. He was excellent throughout the league. We won the game well and we were delighted both with the performance and the result." Suddenly, Westerns were contenders. A quarter-final place beckoned. If they could eclipse Oliver Plunketts in their third group outing, they would advance to the knock-outs… "The last game against the Plunketts was played on a misty, wet day in Ardee. We were up for the game and thought we'd do well after beating the Dreadnots, but our heads dropped after they got their goal. However, when Clint Sweeney got our goal it brought us right back into it. Terence Sweeney scored three points and we were only two points behind with ten minutes remaining, but they pulled away in the closing stages." While it was disappointing, it was hardly the end of the world. A championship quarter-final appearance would have been a welcome bonus, but Westerns' main priority for the year was definitely the league, as the captain confirms: "Our aim was to consolidate. In the championship, we wanted to do as well as we could and not to make a show of ourselves. We did better than we thought we would, so we were happy with our overall performance. There wasn't a kick of the ball between any of the teams in the group and we competed strongly in the league - that has given us great encouragement for next season. "We will learn from the experience. We missed eleven frees the first day against Geraldines, and we know we won't get away with that in the championship. But it was a good performance in a tough group, especially considering we were after coming up from junior. We know we have the talent and passion to match any team in intermediate football." Originally from the Crosserlough club in Cavan, John joined Westerns in 1997, having been based in the Wee County since '91. He was delighted to captain the club in 2004 and believes the team's performances in '04 augur well for the future: "We played some very good football in the league and championship. We adapted well to intermediate football and we have some good minors coming through to complement the more experienced lads, so hopefully the future is bright." Tweet

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